Man City face Real Madrid threat as Erling Haaland dream emerges

Real Madrid continue to dream of signing Erling Haaland from Manchester City, and while the deal may be complicated now, Los Blancos have not given up on making this transfer splash.

It’s been a comparatively disappointing season for Haaland, who has scored 29 goals in 39 appearances for Man City, but that’s not threatening to put Real Madrid off making a move for the Norway international, according to L’Equipe.

The dream of the Bernabeu club remains seeing Haaland playing together with Kylian Mbappe at the forefront of their attack in a partnership that would give their side a distinctly Galactico feel.

Complicated but not impossible

Real Madrid’s interest in Haaland is long-standing. They tried unsuccessfully to sign him when he was at Borussia Dortmund but decided against paying his €75 million release fee.

Haaland now commands an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €146m, making him the second-most valuable player in the game behind only Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal (€163m).

With such a price tag round his neck and a contract that runs until 2034 with the Premier League giants, the 25-year-old will be no easy signing target.

However, there is an unspecified release clause in Haaland’s Man City deal, according to L’Equipe, which assures there is the possibility of the former Molde star exiting for a fixed fee.

The scenario Real Madrid move for Haaland in the summer

Real Madrid are not about to launch a monster bid for Haaland, but there is a scenario in which they do move for the striker in the summer.

This hinges on the future of Vinicius Junior, who has little over a year to run on his deal with Los Blancos. There have been months of wrangling behind the scenes, and until a contract is signing, the Spanish capital side are not writing off Haaland as a possible summer target.

Is Haaland suited to Real Madrid?

Real Madrid are seen as a solid fit for Haaland by SciSports. It gives Los Blancos a Club Fit score of 74 using its algorithm, which generates the rating based on factors including potential development, playing time, formation and style.

Haaland could expect to get plenty of playing time at the Bernabeu, even if there are doubts over whether the club is the optimum fit for him based on playing style and formation.

The caveat here is that Alvaro Arbeloa is unlikely to be in charge next season, suggesting that both of these factors could change to make Real Madrid more suitable to the striker.

While Los Blancos’ move for Haaland is not currently a live topic, it could become active by the time the summer rolls around.

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Champions League top scorers 2025/26: Haaland set to face Real Madrid

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